British Virgin Islands Keeps Cuban Doctors…For Now

The British Virgin Islands will continue working with Cuban doctors and nurses, even as pressure from the United States pushes other Caribbean nations to cut ties with Cuba.

For decades, the Cuban Medical Brigade has filled critical gaps across the region, sending doctors and nurses to small island states and developing nations that struggle to train and retain enough medical staff. But the programme is now facing growing regional pressure, with Jamaica, Guyana, Costa Rica, and Honduras among the countries that have recently cut ties.

In the British Virgin Islands, officials say there has been no directive to cut ties with Cuban medical services. However, the arrangement is gradually scaling down. One Cuban doctor and three nurses are set to leave this year as part of routine rotations and will not be replaced. For now, three doctors and four nurses will remain, but authorities say they are not actively recruiting new Cuban personnel.

In Belize, the future of the programme is also under review. Prime Minister John Briceño says his government is in “delicate negotiations” while working toward a long-term solution that focuses on training more local doctors.

“Remember, if you look back at history, the Cuban medical brigade was never something that would have been permanent,” Briceño said. “It should have been for a certain amount of time and to allow countries to catch up.”

He pointed to the expansion of the University of Belize’s medical programme as a key step, with students expected to begin clinical training soon.